The Illinois State baseball team split a two-game series with Missouri Valley Conference foe Creighton over the weekend in Omaha, Neb., as the teams were deprived of a third game on Sunday due to inclement weather conditions. 

The Redbirds fell to the Bluejays in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, 6-5, but came back in the second game to beat Creighton 7-2.

The Redbirds now hold a record of 23-16 on the season and 5-8 in the MVC.

ISU 7, Creighton 2

Freshman Dylan Craig pitched the Redbirds to a win in the Saturday evening game, pitching a full, nine inning game — the first complete game for an ISU pitcher since 2009.

“Dylan’s performance was very impressive,” ISU head coach Mark Kingston said. “That was exactly what we needed after the heartbreaking loss in the first game. He allowed our offense to get going, and putting up seven runs in that ballpark against that pitching staff is impressive.”

Craig allowed just two earned runs on four hits and three walks, and obtained four strikeouts.

Ty Wiesemeyer led ISU offensively in the game with a three-for-five performance. His efforts included two triples, two RBIs, and two runs scored.

ISU took the early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Wiesemeyer RBI triple. Bryan Huff then followed up in the second inning with a sacrifice fly.

CU showed signs of a comeback in the fourth inning after tying the game at 2-2, but ISU nabbed the lead again in the fifth inning with an RBI single by Eric Aguilera, putting the Redbirds ahead 3-2.

Mike Hollenbeck, Wiesemeyer, Kyle Stanton, and Chad Hinshaw all had RBI hits for the Redbirds to make the win a team effort and secure the victory for ISU.   

ISU 5, Creighton 6

The Redbirds and the Bluejays fought long and hard in Saturday’s first game, as the teams played 15 innings of baseball.

Jeremy Rhoades suffered the loss after pitching just over four innings, despite allowing only one run on four hits.

Stanton led the Redbirds in the game one performance with a four-for-seven effort at the plate, including one RBI.

Creighton earned the initial lead after plating three runs in the first inning.

The Redbirds initiated a response in the fourth inning with a single by Stanton that drove in Matt Mirabal who reached on a triple. ISU then tied the game in the fifth inning with a two-run homer by Hollenbeck.

Creighton regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but ISU fought back and took the lead in the eighth inning with a two-run single by pinch-hitter David Fallon.

But the Redbirds were unable to maintain the lead as the Bluejays tied the game up 5-5 in the ninth, sending the teams into extra-innings.

In the bottom of the 15th inning, a Bluejay home run led Creighton to the 6-5 victory over the Redbirds.